PORTLAND — Coming as they are  off an intense four game week which pitted them against possible Calder Cup tourney foes, the Portland Pirates could be considered due for a bit of a breather.

And with another three-in-three coming up, with all the games coming against teams likey to miss the playoffs, one might think that the opportunity to take things a little easier has arrived. Hardly.

The Buccos are prepping for the upcoming weekend as though the Calder Cup itself is on the line.

Then again, how they fare against the likes of Providence, Springfield, and Hartford, might be a harbinger of things to come.

“Looking at these last handful of games,” said veteran forward Cody McCormick, following the team’s 60-minute practice at Portland Ice Arena, Wednesday, “we have to use these to build up strength to go into the playoffs. These are really important games coming up.”

Each of the weekend’s opponents would love nothing better than to throw a wrench into the Pirates’ weekend.

McCormick said that the best way to guard against a letdown is to keep all eyes riveted on the game plan drawn up by coach Kevin Dineen.

“That just comes with the preparation,” said the former NHLer (with Colorado). We’ve just got to make sure that we’re going into all the games to get ready for the playoffs. We can’t take anyone lightly. We just don’t want to be off our game going into those.”

They won’t be if Dineen has anything to say about it.

Should the Buccos begin to lose sight of the immediate objective, the pugnacious Pirate pilot will be quick to snap them back into focus.

“Any time we can take a strip off of Providence,” Dineen said, “we love doing it.  I know their coaching staff feels the same way. There will be a real meaning to these games this weekend, and we realize that.”

Friday’s clash with the P-Bruins will be held in Providence at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, where Portland has had some amount of success in recent years.

Providence, which sits in seventh place in the Atlantic Division, will likely miss the playoffs for the first time in a dozen years.

Still, said Dineen, there are few things more dangerous than a wounded Bruin.

“You always have to respect an opponent,” he said. “By no means are these anything but the usual Providence/Portland games. They’ll be highly competitive.”

The Pirates will then come home for tilts with Springfield (Saturday) and Hartford (Sunday).

“Certainly they’ll be important games for us,” Dineen said.

EMPTY NETTERS: Saturday will mark the induction of former Pirate great Chris Jensen into the club’s Hall of Fame. ”¦ Springfield, which sits last in the Atlantic, is much improved as of late, particularly with the addition of left wing Jordan Eberle, a former first round pick of the Edmonton Oilers. Eberle was sensational for Canada in the recent World Junior Championship. ”¦ It’s looking as though wounded No. 1 goaltender Jhonas Enroth will be out longer than the initial three week prognosis. According to Dineen, Enroth, who suffered a high ankle sprain in a goal mouth collision on March 13, is now facing a “long term” access. The injury is similar to that suffered by former Pirate goalie Michael Leighton, now of the Philadelphia Flyers. Leighton recently suffered an injury similar to Enroth’s, and he’s expected to miss eight weeks. In Enroth’s absence, the goaltending chores will be shared by ECHL refugees J.P. Lamoureux and Todd Ford.

— Contact Staff Writer Dan Hickling at dhickling@journaltribune.com.